“I’ve seen all…”: United insider details what Ineos think about their chances of signing Mateus Fernandes

On Wednesday evening, multiple reports suggested that Tottenham Hotspur have blown Manchester United out of the water in the race for Mateus Fernandes. Sky Sports claimed Tottenham are willing to pay £85m for Fernandes, who was previously valued at around £60m by United.  Meanwhile, The Sun reported that Spurs are “going big” on salaries for targets and are prepared to offer more than United for Fernandes. However, sources close to Old Trafford are still calm. Manchester United’s pursuit not over According to club insider Sully, Manchester United remain confident of signing Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and the deal is not over yet. Sully posted on X: “I’ve seen all the reports and I respect all the journos, but genuinely, all I can say is that United still remain confident on Fernandes & the deal isn’t over yet.” I’ve seen all the reports and I respect all the journos, but genuinely, all I can say is that United still remain confident on Fernandes & the deal isn’t over yet. This will frustrate people but all I can do is tell you what I know. I’ve never once ‘hid’ and I never, ever, will. — Sully (@SullyTalkz) June 24, 2026 “This will frustrate people but all I can do is tell you what I know,” he added. It has previously been reported that United consider themselves as “strong favourites” for Fernandes, given they can offer him the opportunity to play with his idol, Bruno Fernandes, as well as Champions League football. However, Fernandes is managed by Jorge Mendes, who is thought to be leading the negotiations and is likely to dictate where the 21-year-old will end up. As such, unlike Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, the Portuguese youngster is not going to make it clear to his club that he only wants to join the Red Devils. If Tottenham continue to insist on meeting his agent and West Ham’s demands, Fernandes would remain in London. Manchester United handed Tchouameni boost INEOS’s stance to avoid being held to ransom is admirable, but that would mean little if they fail to hand Michael Carrick a solid midfield ahead of next season. Signing a Champions League winning midfielder would be some statement in that regard. United have shown interest in Real Madrid defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report from The Athletic claiming Real are open to considering offers for Tchouameni, with Jose Mourinho looking to add a different profile to his midfield. Featured image Julian Finney via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!